1 1029 116 EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON SALIVARY BETA-DEFENSIN 2. PURPOSE: YOGA STRETCHING CAN BE DONE COMFORTABLY AND EASILY BY BEGINNERS AND OLDER ADULTS TO COMPENSATE FOR LACK OF EXERCISE OR POOR HEALTH MAINTENANCE. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA STRETCHING ON MUCOSAL IMMUNE FUNCTIONS, PRIMARILY HUMAN BETA-DEFENSIN 2 (HBD-2) IN SALIVA. METHODS: FIFTEEN HEALTHY ADULTS (AGE, 60.4 +/- 8.0 YEARS) PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. PARTICIPANTS RESTED FOR 90 MIN ON THE FIRST DAY AND PERFORMED YOGA FOR 90 MIN ON THE SECOND DAY. MEASUREMENTS WERE CARRIED OUT BEFORE AND AFTER REST OR YOGA. SALIVA SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED BY CHEWING A STERILE COTTON AT A FREQUENCY OF 60 CYCLES PER MIN. SALIVARY HBD-2 CONCENTRATION WAS MEASURED USING AN ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY. RESULTS: HBD-2 CONCENTRATION AFTER YOGA STRETCHING (165.4 +/- 127.1 PG/ML) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THAT BEFORE YOGA STRETCHING (84.1 +/- 63.4 PG/ML; P < 0.01). HBD-2 EXPRESSION RATE AFTER YOGA STRETCHING (232.8 +/- 192.9 PG/MIN) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THAT BEFORE YOGA STRETCHING (110.7 +/- 96.8 PG/MIN; P < 0.01). HBD-2 CONCENTRATION (P < 0.05) AND HBD-2 EXPRESSION RATE (P < 0.01) AT POST ON THE SECOND DAY (YOGA) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THAT ON THE FIRST DAY (REST). POMS SCORE OF ANGER-HOSTILITY WAS LOWER AFTER YOGA THAN BEFORE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA STRETCHING FOR 90 MIN CAN INCREASE SALIVARY HBD-2 EXPRESSION IN OLDER ADULTS. THEREFORE, YOGA STRETCHING MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR OLDER ADULTS AND ATHLETES TO MAINTAIN THEIR HEALTH. 2013 2 2160 33 THE EFFECTS OF WEIGHT BEARING YOGA TRAINING ON THE BONE RESORPTION MARKERS OF THE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. THIS STUDY WAS A PRELIMINARY REPORT TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF THE WEIGHT BEARING YOGA TRAINING ON BOTH BONE RESORPTION MARKER AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. THE SAMPLES WERE RECRUITED BY THE PURPOSIVE SAMPLING FROM THE FEMALE CHULALONGKORN UNIVERSITY STAFF AGED BETWEEN 50-60 YEARS. THE SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP. THE BASELINE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, THE BONE RESORPTION MARKER (BETA-CROSSLAPS), THE BONE FORMATION MARKER (P1NP) AND QUALITY OF LIFE (SF-36) DATA WERE COLLECTED. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP ATTENDED THE 12-WEEK WEIGHT-BEARING YOGA TRAINING 3 DAYS A WEEK, 50 MINUTES A DAY WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP LIVED THEIR NORMAL LIVES. AFTER 12TH WEEK, THE DATA COLLECTIONS WERE REPEATED IN BOTH GROUPS. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (19 SUBJECTS, THE MEAN AGE 54.320 YRS) AND THE CONTROL GROUP (14 SUBJECTS, THE MEAN AGE 54.430 YRS) WERE RECRUITED. THE MEAN ULTRASOUND BMD OF BOTH HEELS IN BOTH GROUPS SHOWED NO OSTEOPENIA OR OSTEOPOROSIS. AFTER THE 12-WEEK TRAINING, THE MEAN BONE RESORPTION MARKER (BETA-CROSSLAPS) OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP REDUCED FROM 0.464 TO 0.339 NG/ML (-26.939%) WHEREAS THE CONTROL GROUP REDUCED FROM 0.389 TO 0.386 NG/ML (-0.771%). THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE (P < 0.05). THE MEAN OF THE BONE FORMATION MARKERS (PINP) IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP REDUCED FROM 55.393 TO 42.401 NG/ML (-23.454%) AND THE BONE FORMATION MARKERS (PINP) IN THE CONTROL GROUP REDUCED FROM 61.903 TO 44.832 NG/ML (-27.577%). IN THE AREA OF THE LIFE QUALITY MEASUREMENT OF BOTH GROUPS, THE DATA OBTAINED FROM THE MEDICAL OUTCOMES STUDY SHORT-FORM SURVEY (SF-36) SHOWED THAT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AT 0.05 LEVELS FOR THE PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING, BODILY PAIN, GENERAL HEALTH, AND VITALITY. THE VARIANCE OF PERCENTAGE CHANGE VALUE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP INCREASED TO +25.299, +16.565, +15.309, AND +21.056. THE VARIANCE OF PERCENTAGE CHANGE VALUE OF THE CONTROL GROUP INCREASED TO +12.946, -1.221, -9.303 AND +2.291. THE WEIGH-BEARING YOGA TRAINING HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON BONE BY SLOWING DOWN BONE RESORPTION WHICH WAS A VERY ESSENTIAL INDICATOR FOR HUMAN HEALTH BECAUSE IT REDUCED THE OSTEOPOROSIS RISKS IN THE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. ADDITIONALLY, YOGA TRAINING PROMOTED BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE. 2009 3 918 26 EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING PROGRAM COMBINING CHAKRAYOGA AND MEDITATION. BACKGROUND THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROGRAM COMBINING CHAKRAYOGA AND MEDITATION ON THE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND DISEASE-RELATED FACTORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF PEOPLE. METHODS NINETY-SEVEN SUBJECTS (32-83 YEARS OLD) WHO HAD FREE FROM PRIOR EXPERIENCES IN MEDITATION PROGRAMS OR CHAKRAYOGA TRAINING COURSES WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (EXP) (45 SUBJECTS; 13 MALE SUBJECTS AND 32 FEMALE SUBJECTS; AVERAGE AGE OF 60.67 YEARS, SD=11.09 YEARS) OR THE CONTROL GROUP (CONT) OF REMAINING SUBJECTS (52 SUBJECTS; 14 MALE SUBJECTS AND 38 FEMALE SUBJECTS; AVERAGE AGE OF 61.58 YEARS, SD=9.70 YEARS). SUBJECTS IN THE EXP PARTICIPATED IN THE CHAKRAYOGA MEDITATION PROGRAM FOR TWICE A WEEK FOR 2 H DURING 6 WEEKS IN EACH SESSION CONSISTED OF 1 H OF CHAKRAYOGA AND 1 H OF MEDITATION. THE MEASUREMENTS IN THIS STUDY INCLUDED THE MINDFULNESS, STRESS RESPONSE, SUBJECTIVE QUALITY OF LIFE, MEDICAL SYMPTOM CHECKLIST, DIFFICULTY IN EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND OBJECTIVE OF LIFE AND SENSE OF CONTROL. RESULTS RESULTS REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS IN THE EXP REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE RELIEF OF MINDFULNESS, STRESS RESPONSE, SUBJECTIVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND MEDICAL SYMPTOM CHECKLIST THAN THOSE IN THE CONT. CONCLUSIONS THESE FINDINGS PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT THE CHAKRAYOGA MEDITATION PROGRAM CAN HELP RELIEVE THE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND DISEASE-RELATED FACTORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS. 2019 4 2905 31 [LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF BREATHING EXERCISES AND YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH BRONCHIAL ASTHMA]. TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF BREATHING EXERCISES (BE) OR YOGA (Y) ON THE COURSE OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA WE STUDIED 36 SUBJECTS WITH A MILD DISEASE. THE PATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO 3 GROUPS. 2 OF THEM PARTICIPATED IN A 3 WEEKS TRAINING PROGRAM OF BE OR Y WHILE THE THIRD GROUP RESTED WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL TREATMENT (CONTROL GROUP, C). AT THE END OF THE TRAINING PERIOD THE PATIENTS WERE ASKED TO PRACTISE BE OR Y ON THEIR OWN. DRUG THERAPY AND LUNG FUNCTION PARAMETERS BEFORE AND AFTER A BETA 2-AGONIST METERED DOSE INHALER (ALBUTEROL, ALB) WERE RECORDED PRIOR TO THE TRAINING PROGRAM AND IN 4 WEEKS INTERVALS FOR 4 MONTHS THEREAFTER. THE RESPONSE TO THE BETA 2-AGONIST WAS DOCUMENTED CONTINUOUSLY IN 28 PATIENTS. THE MENTAL STATE OF THE PATIENTS WAS ELUCIDATED BY QUESTIONNAIRES.--PRIOR TO THE STUDY A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT OF INHALED ALB ON THE FEV1 WAS SHOWN WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT BETWEEN GROUP DIFFERENCES. BOTH, BE AND Y, CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT AMELIORATION OF THE MENTAL STATE BUT ONLY THE BE INDUCED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OF LUNG FUNCTION PARAMETERS COMPARED TO THE INDIVIDUAL BASELINE VALUES. THE FEV1 INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY BY 356.3 +/- 146.2 ML (P < 0.05) AND THE VC BY 225.0 +/- 65.5 ML (P < 0.01). THESE LONG-TERM CHANGES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE ACTUAL RESPONSE TO ALB. BE DECREASED THE RV SIGNIFICANTLY BY 306.3 +/- 111.6 ML (P < 0.05), AN EFFECT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER COMPARED TO THE BETA 2-AGONIST (P < 0.01). BE IN COMBINATION WITH ALB CAUSED AN ADDITIVE EFFECT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) 1994 5 717 28 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY ON PAIN, MORNING STIFFNESS AND ANXIETY IN OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE JOINT: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL STUDY. AIM: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON PAIN, MORNING STIFFNESS AND ANXIETY IN OSTEOARTHRITIS OF KNEES. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY PARTICIPANTS WITH OA KNEES (35-80 YEARS) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP. BOTH GROUPS HAD TRANSCUTANEOUS ELECTRICAL STIMULATION AND ULTRASOUND TREATMENT FOLLOWED BY INTERVENTION (40 MIN) FOR TWO WEEKS WITH FOLLOW UP FOR THREE MONTHS. THE INTEGRATED YOGA CONSISTED OF YOGIC LOOSENING AND STRENGTHENING PRACTICES, ASANAS, RELAXATION, PRANAYAMA AND MEDITATION. THE CONTROL GROUP HAD PHYSIOTHERAPY EXERCISES. ASSESSMENTS WERE DONE ON 15(TH) (POST 1) AND 90(TH) DAY (POST 2). RESULTS: RESTING PAIN (NUMERICAL RATING SCALE) REDUCED BETTER (P<0.001, MANN-WHITNEY U TEST) IN YOGA GROUP (POST 1=33.6% AND POST 2=71.8%) THAN CONTROL GROUP (POST 1=13.4% AND POST 2=37.5%). MORNING STIFFNESS DECREASED MORE (P<0.001) IN YOGA (POST 1=68.6% AND POST 2=98.1%) THAN CONTROL GROUP (POST 1=38.6% AND POST 2=71.6%). STATE ANXIETY (STAI-1) REDUCED (P<0.001) BY 35.5% (POST 1) AND 58.4% (POST 2) IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 15.6% (POST 1) AND 38.8% (POST 2) IN THE CONTROL GROUP; TRAIT ANXIETY (STAI 2) REDUCED (P<0.001) BETTER (POST 1=34.6% AND POST 2=57.10%) IN YOGA THAN CONTROL GROUP (POST 1=14.12% AND POST 2=34.73%). SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCED (P<0.001) BETTER IN YOGA GROUP (POST 1=-7.93% AND POST 2=-15.7%) THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (POST 1=-1.8% AND POST 2=-3.8%). DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCED (P<0.001) BETTER IN YOGA GROUP (POST 1=-7.6% AND POST 2=-16.4%) THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (POST 1=-2.1% AND POST 2=-5.0%). PULSE RATE REDUCED (P<0.001) BETTER IN YOGA GROUP (POST 1=-8.41% AND POST 2=-12.4%) THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (POST 1=-5.1% AND POST 2=-7.1%). CONCLUSION: INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY IS BETTER THAN PHYSIOTHERAPY EXERCISES AS AN ADJUNCT TO TRANSCUTANEOUS ELECTRICAL STIMULATION AND ULTRASOUND TREATMENT IN REDUCING PAIN, MORNING STIFFNESS, STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY, BLOOD PRESSURE AND PULSE RATE IN PATIENTS WITH OA KNEES. 2012 6 1019 23 EFFECTS OF WEEKLY ONE-HOUR HATHA YOGA THERAPY ON RESILIENCE AND STRESS LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDERS: AN EIGHT-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA THERAPY ON RESILIENCE, BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) LEVELS, AND SALIVARY ALPHA AMYLASE (SAA) ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDERS. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: SINGLE-BLINDED, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY IN WHICH OUTPATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA OR RELATED PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS (ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF DISEASES, 10TH REVISION) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA OR A CONTROL GROUP. SETTING: NOVEMBER 2012-APRIL 2013 AT YAMANASHI PREFECTURAL KITA HOSPITAL, JAPAN. INTERVENTIONS: IN THE YOGA GROUP, PATIENTS RECEIVED WEEKLY 1-HOUR HATHA YOGA SESSIONS, IN ADDITION TO REGULAR TREATMENT, FOR 8 WEEKS. THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP UNDERWENT REGULAR TREATMENT, WHICH INCLUDED A DAYCARE REHABILITATION PROGRAM. OUTCOME MEASURES: ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED THE 25-ITEM RESILIENCE SCALE (RS), POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYNDROME SCALE (PANSS), PLASMA AND SALIVARY BDNF LEVEL, AND SAA ACTIVITY. RESULTS: FIFTY PATIENTS PARTICIPATED (25 IN EACH GROUP; MEAN AGE+/-STANDARD DEVIATION, 50.9+/-11.3 YEARS; MEAN DURATION OF ILLNESS, 25.0+/-10.3 YEARS; MEAN TOTAL PANSS SCORE, 78.2+/-17.3). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN CHANGES IN ANY VARIABLE FROM BASELINE TO WEEK 8 WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS (CHANGES IN THE YOGA GROUP VERSUS THE CONTROL GROUP: RS SCORE, -1.6+/-19.9 VERSUS 0.3+/-17.2; PANSS SCORE, 0.5+/-12.0 VERSUS 5.0+/-15.6; PLASMA BDNF, 41.6+/-377.0 PG/DL VERSUS 73.4+/-346.0 PG/DL; SAA, -26.2+/-72.6 KU/L VERSUS -13.8+/-68.0 KU/L, RESPECTIVELY). CONCLUSIONS: ADJUNCT YOGA THERAPY SHOWED NO POSITIVE CHANGES IN RESILIENCE LEVEL OR STRESS MARKERS. DURATION AND INTENSITY OF YOGA SESSIONS AND THE FOCUS ON PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS MAY EXPLAIN THE NEGATIVE OBSERVATIONS IN LIGHT OF PAST POSITIVE EVIDENCE REGARDING YOGA THERAPY. 2014 7 1468 31 INNER ENGINEERING PRACTICES AND ADVANCED 4-DAY ISHA YOGA RETREAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CANNABIMIMETIC EFFECTS WITH INCREASED ENDOCANNABINOIDS AND SHORT-TERM AND SUSTAINED IMPROVEMENT IN MENTAL HEALTH: A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF MEDITATORS. BACKGROUND: ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION ARE COMMON IN THE MODERN WORLD, AND THERE IS GROWING DEMAND FOR ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES SUCH AS MEDITATION. MEDITATION CAN DECREASE PERCEIVED STRESS AND INCREASE GENERAL WELL-BEING, ALTHOUGH THE PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISM IS NOT WELL-CHARACTERIZED. ENDOCANNABINOIDS (ECBS), LIPID MEDIATORS ASSOCIATED WITH ENHANCED MOOD AND REDUCED ANXIETY/DEPRESSION, HAVE NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY STUDIED AS BIOMARKERS OF MEDITATION EFFECTS. OUR AIM WAS TO ASSESS BIOMARKERS (ECBS AND BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR [BDNF]) AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AFTER A MEDITATION RETREAT. METHODS: THIS WAS AN OBSERVATIONAL PILOT STUDY OF ADULTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE 4-DAY ISHA YOGA BHAVA SPANDANA PROGRAM RETREAT. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED ONLINE SURVEYS (BEFORE AND AFTER RETREAT, AND 1 MONTH LATER) TO ASSESS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, FOCUS, WELL-BEING, AND HAPPINESS THROUGH VALIDATED PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. VOLUNTARY BLOOD SAMPLING FOR BIOMARKER STUDIES WAS DONE BEFORE AND WITHIN A DAY AFTER THE RETREAT. THE BIOMARKERS ANANDAMIDE, 2-ARACHIDONOYLGLYCEROL (2-AG), 1-ARACHIDONOYLGLYCEROL (1-AG), DOCOSATETRAENOYLETHANOLAMIDE (DEA), OLEOYLETHANOLAMIDE (OLA), AND BDNF WERE EVALUATED. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, AS WELL AS CHANGES IN ECBS AND BDNF. RESULTS: DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SCORES DECREASED WHILE FOCUS, HAPPINESS, AND POSITIVE WELL-BEING SCORES INCREASED IMMEDIATELY AFTER RETREAT FROM THEIR BASELINE VALUES (P < 0.001). ALL IMPROVEMENTS WERE SUSTAINED 1 MONTH AFTER BSP. ALL MAJOR ECBS INCLUDING ANANDAMIDE, 2-AG, 1-AG, DEA, AND BDNF INCREASED AFTER MEDITATION BY > 70% (P < 0.001). INCREASES OF >/=20% IN ANANDAMIDE, 2-AG, 1-AG, AND TOTAL AG LEVELS AFTER MEDITATION FROM THE BASELINE HAD WEAK CORRELATIONS WITH CHANGES IN HAPPINESS AND WELL-BEING. CONCLUSIONS: A SHORT MEDITATION EXPERIENCE IMPROVED FOCUS, HAPPINESS, AND POSITIVE WELL-BEING AND REDUCED DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN PARTICIPANTS FOR AT LEAST 1 MONTH. PARTICIPANTS HAD INCREASED BLOOD ECBS AND BDNF, SUGGESTING A ROLE FOR THESE BIOMARKERS IN THE UNDERLYING MECHANISM OF MEDITATION. MEDITATION IS A SIMPLE, ORGANIC, AND EFFECTIVE WAY TO IMPROVE WELL-BEING AND REDUCE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. 2020 8 2771 19 YOGA REDUCES SYMPTOMS OF DISTRESS IN TSUNAMI SURVIVORS IN THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS. A MONTH AFTER THE DECEMBER 2004 TSUNAMI THE EFFECT OF A 1 WEEK YOGA PROGRAM WAS EVALUATED ON SELF RATED FEAR, ANXIETY, SADNESS AND DISTURBED SLEEP IN 47 SURVIVORS IN THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS. POLYGRAPH RECORDINGS OF THE HEART RATE, BREATH RATE AND SKIN RESISTANCE WERE ALSO MADE. AMONG THE 47 PEOPLE, 31 WERE SETTLERS FROM THE MAINLAND (I.E. INDIA, ML GROUP) AND 16 WERE ENDOGENOUS PEOPLE (EP GROUP). THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN SELF RATED FEAR, ANXIETY, SADNESS AND DISTURBED SLEEP IN BOTH GROUPS, AND IN THE HEART AND BREATH RATE IN THE ML GROUP, AND IN THE BREATH RATE ALONE IN THE EP GROUP, FOLLOWING YOGA (P < 0.05, T-TEST). THIS SUGGESTS THAT YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE USEFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF STRESS FOLLOWING A NATURAL DISASTER IN PEOPLE WITH WIDELY DIFFERING SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL BELIEFS. 2007 9 1432 28 IMPROVING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH IN FRONTLINE MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS: YOGA-BASED STRESS MANAGEMENT VERSUS COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL STRESS MANAGEMENT. THE NEED FOR BRIEF, LOW-COST, EASILY DISSEMINABLE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY LIFESTYLES IS HIGH. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS. WE DEVELOPED TWO STUDIES TO COMPARE THE IMPACTS OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (CBSM) AND YOGA BASED STRESS MANAGEMENT (YBSM) INTERVENTIONS FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS. STUDY 1 OFFERED AN 8-WEEK YBSM INTERVENTION TO 37 MENTAL HEALTHCARE PARTICIPANTS AND COLLECTED HEALTH DATA PRE AND POST. STUDY 2 OFFERED YBSM AND CBSM CLASSES TO 40 RANDOMLY ASSIGNED MENTAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND COLLECTED MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH DATA AT FOUR TIME POINTS. IN STUDY 1, USING T-TESTS, THE YBSM INTERVENTION AFFECTED A NUMBER OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING INDICES PRE TO POST. IN STUDY 2, USING LINEAR MIXED MODELING, BOTH YBSM AND CBSM GROUPS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P <.05) IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE, HEART RATE, ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, RELAXATION AND AWARENESS, PROFESSIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE, COMPASSION SATISFACTION, BURNOUT, DEPRESSION, AND STRESS LEVELS. THERE WAS A GROUP BY TIME EFFECT FOR COPING CONFIDENCE (CBSM INCREASED MORE, P<.05, F = 4.34), PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (YBSM INCREASED MORE, P<.05, F = 3.47), OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH (YBSM INCREASED MORE, P<.10, F =5.32), AND SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS (YBSM DECREASED MORE, P<.10, F = 4.89). YBSM AND CBSM APPEAR TO BE USEFUL FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS' MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. YBSM DEMONSTRATES SOME BENEFIT ABOVE AND BEYOND THE EXTREMELY WELL-STUDIED AND EMPIRICALLY SUPPORTED CBSM, INCLUDING INCREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH, AND DECREASED SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS BENEFITS. 2017 10 1365 27 IMPACT OF 10-WEEKS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE OF COLLEGE ATHLETES. BACKGROUND: WITH CLEARER EVIDENCE OF ITS BENEFITS, COACHES, AND ATHLETES MAY BETTER SEE THAT YOGA HAS A ROLE IN OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE. AIMS: TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON MALE COLLEGE ATHLETES (N = 26). METHODS: OVER A 10-WEEK PERIOD, A YOGA GROUP (YG) OF ATHLETES (N = 14) TOOK PART IN BIWEEKLY YOGA SESSIONS; WHILE A NONYOGA GROUP (NYG) OF ATHLETES (N = 12) TOOK PART IN NO ADDITIONAL YOGA ACTIVITY. PERFORMANCE MEASURES WERE OBTAINED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER THIS PERIOD. MEASUREMENTS OF FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE, INCLUDED: SIT-REACH (SR), SHOULDER FLEXIBILITY (SF), AND STORK STAND (SS); DYNAMIC MEASUREMENTS CONSISTED OF JOINT ANGLES (JA) MEASURED DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF THREE DISTINCT YOGA POSITIONS (DOWNWARD DOG [DD]; RIGHT FOOT LUNGE [RFL]; CHAIR [C]). RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT GAINS WERE OBSERVED IN THE YG FOR FLEXIBILITY (SR, P = 0.01; SF, P = 0.03), AND BALANCE (SS, P = 0.05). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN THE NYG FOR FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE. SIGNIFICANTLY, GREATER JA WERE OBSERVED IN THE YG FOR: RFL (DORSIFLEXION, L-ANKLE; P = 0.04), DD (EXTENSION, R-KNEE, P = 0.04; R-HIP; P = 0.01; FLEXION, R-SHOULDER; P = 0.01) AND C (FLEXION, R-KNEE; P = 0.01). SIGNIFICANT JA DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN THE NYG FOR: DD (FLEXION, R-KNEE, P = 0.01: R-HIP, P = 0.05; R-SHOULDER, P = 0.03) AND C (FLEXION R-KNEE, P = 0.01; EXTENSION, R-SHOULDER; P = 0.05). A BETWEEN GROUP COMPARISON REVEALED THE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES FOR: RFL (L-ANKLE; P = 0.01), DD (R-KNEE, P = 0.01; R-HIP; P = 0.01), AND C (R-SHOULDER, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS SUGGEST THAT A REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY INCREASE THE FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE AS WELL AS WHOLE BODY MEASURES OF MALE COLLEGE ATHLETES AND THEREFORE, MAY ENHANCE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCES THAT REQUIRE THESE CHARACTERISTICS. 2016 11 1277 30 FUNCTIONAL STATUS IN ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS - YOGA VS. PHYSIOTHERAPY: A QUASI EXPERIMENTAL STUDY. OBJECTIVES: ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS RESULTS IN A MULTIDIMENSIONAL DISABILITY WHICH DEMANDS A POLYGONAL APPROACH. ALTHOUGH PHYSIOTHERAPY PROVES AN ESSENTIAL FOR A COMPLETE AND COMPREHENSIVE RECOVERY IN ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS, EVIDENCE ALSO SUGGEST THE ROLE OF YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT, HENCE THIS STUDY INVESTIGATE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. METHODS: THIS IS A QUASI-RANDOMISED CONTROL STUDY. A PRE-DIAGNOSED SUBACUTE AND CHRONIC ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS OF SHOULDER, BETWEEN THE AGE GROUP OF 35-60 YEARS OF BOTH GENDERS OF TOTAL 40 PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO GROUP 'A' (YOGASANA) AND GROUP 'B' (PHYSIOTHERAPY). THE PARAMETERS OF PAIN, JOINT MOBILITY AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITIES WERE MEASURED AT THE BASELINE AND AFTER FOUR-WEEKS. RESULTS: THE MEAN AGE OF GROUP 'A' WAS 45.4 +/- 7.78 YEARS WHEREAS 50.05 +/- 5.98 YEARS WAS IN GROUP 'B'. INTRAGROUP ANALYSIS FOR BOTH THE GROUPS SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL THE STUDY VARIABLES. WHEREAS IN INTERGROUP ANALYSIS YOGASANA WAS FOUND TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IN IMPROVING SHOULDER ABDUCTION MOBILITY, P=0.03, EFFECT SIZE R=0.35 AND ALSO IN SHOULDER FLEXION (P=0.15, R=0.23) AND SHOULDER INTERNAL ROTATION (P=0.07, R=0.3), THOUGH STATISTICALLY NOT SIGNIFICANT, IN VIEW OF SMALL EFFECT SIZE RESPONSE. CONCLUSIONS: BOTH TECHNIQUES IMPROVED THE FUNCTIONAL STATUS IN ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS, HOWEVER ADDITIONAL EFFECTS ON JOINT MOBILITY WAS DEMONSTRATED BY YOGASANA. 2020 12 1629 25 MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA FOR YOUTH WITH PERSISTENT CONCUSSION: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: WE EXPLORED THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA (MBY) FOR YOUTH WITH PERSISTENT CONCUSSION BY EXAMINING OCCUPATION-BASED AND NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL OUTCOMES. METHOD: IN THIS CASE SERIES DESIGN STUDY, 6 YOUTHS AGES 13-17 YR WITH CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS FOR >4 WK PARTICIPATED IN AN 8-WK MBY INTERVENTION, 1X/WK FOR 45 MIN. PARTICIPATION, SELF-EFFICACY, AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY (24 HR) WERE COLLECTED BEFORE, AFTER, AND 3 MO AFTER THE INTERVENTION. HEART RATE VARIABILITY WAS ALSO MEASURED DURING EACH SESSION. RESULTS: TRENDS OF INCREASED SELF-EFFICACY IN ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL DOMAINS WERE FOUND AFTER MBY AND MAINTAINED AT 3-MO FOLLOW-UP. TRENDS OF INCREASING HEART RATE VARIABILITY WERE ALSO FOUND PRE- TO POSTINTERVENTION AND WITHIN THE EIGHT MBY SESSIONS. CONCLUSION: PRELIMINARY RESULTS REVEAL POSITIVE TRENDS AFTER A NOVEL, SAFE INTERVENTION FOR YOUTH WITH PERSISTENT CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS AND THE VALUE OF EXPLORING BOTH OCCUPATION-BASED AND NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES. FUTURE RESEARCH WITH A LARGER SAMPLE AND CONTROL GROUP IS WARRANTED. 2019 13 2757 32 YOGA PRACTICES AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF STUDENT NURSES. YOGA HAS BEEN WITH US SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, BUT IT IS ONLY DURING RECENT YEARS THAT IT HAS ASSUMED WORLDWIDE IMPORTANCE. THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE CT OF SELECTED YOGA PRACTICES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING. IN THIS QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL ONE GROUP PRE-TEST AND POST- TEST STUDY, 83 UNDER GRADUATE STUDENT NURSES. WERE TAUGHT SELECTED YOGA EXERCISES. THE SE- LECTED YOGA EXERCISES WERE SYSTEMATIC RELAXATION, BREATHING, AND STRETCHING THAT WERE PER- FORMED IN THE FORMATIVE MANNER. THE' INTERVENTION WAS CARRIED OUT FOR THE MINIMAL DURATION OF ONE HOUR PER DAY, THREE DAYS A WEEK FOR A PERIOD OF 6 WEEKS. ASSESSMENT WAS- CARRIED OUT ON THE FIRST AND LAST- DAY OF THE INTERVENTION, USING-A MODIFIED HINDI VERSION OF POSITIVE AFFECT AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCALE, (PANAS-H). IT,HAS 10 QUESTIONS EACH TO MEASURE POSITIVE (PA) AND NEGA- TIVE AFFECT (NA). SINCE THE DATA WAS TESTED AND FORMED A NORMAL DISTRIBUTION, THE PAIRED 'T' TEST WAS USED FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. THE. MEAN PA SCORE OF 42.92 AFTER YOGA PRACTICE WAS STATISTI- CALLY HIGHER THAN THE MEAN PA SCORE OF 32. 50 BEFORE YOGA PRACTICE (P=O. 01). THE MEAN NA SCORE OF 20.75 AFTER YOGA PRACTICE WAS LOWER THAN THE MEAN NA SCORE OF 23.33 BEFORE YOGA PRACTICE (P=0.427). THE YOGA PRACTICE CAN BE TAUGHT TO NORMALPARTICIPANTS AS IT MAY REDUCE NEGATIVE AFFECT AND INCREASE THE POSITIVE AFFECT WITHIN A FEW WEEKS. 2015 14 295 31 AGE RELATED DIFFERENCES OF SELECTED HATHA YOGA PRACTICES ON ANTHROPOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS, MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY OF HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. BACKGROUND: PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA ON VOLUNTEERS OF A PARTICULAR AGE GROUP ARE AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, REPORTS ON EFFICACY OF A SPECIFIC YOGA PACKAGE ON THE POPULACE OF DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS FROM SIMILAR OCCUPATIONAL BACKGROUND IS STILL VERY LIMITED. THEREFORE, THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO APPRAISE THE EFFECT OF A SPECIFIC HATHA YOGA PACKAGE ON ANTHROPOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS, FLEXIBILITY AND MUSCULAR STRENGTH OF HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS OF DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS FROM SIMILAR OCCUPATIONAL TRADE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 71 PARTICIPANTS (GROUP ALL) FROM INDIAN AIR FORCE GROUND PERSONNEL VOLUNTEERED AND AGE WISE DIVIDED INTO 3 GROUPS - (I) GROUP I (GR. - I) (N1 = 27, 20-29 YEARS), (II) GROUP II (GR. - II) (N2 = 21, 30-39 YEARS) AND (III) GROUP III (GR. - III) (N3 = 23, 40-49 YEARS). ALL THE PARTICIPANTS UNDERGONE SELECTED HATHA YOGA TRAINING FOR 1 H DAILY FOR A PERIOD OF 12 WEEKS. PARAMETERS WERE RECORDED BEFORE AND AFTER THE TRAINING. PRE AND POST TRAINING DIFFERENCES WERE ASSESSED BY STUDENT'S T-TEST. RESULTS: BODY WEIGHT (ALL, GR. - II AND GR. - III [ALL P < 0.05]), BODY MASS INDEX (GR. - II AND GR. - III [BOTH P < 0.01]) AND FAT% (GR. - II AND III [BOTH P < 0.05]) WERE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. NECK CIRCUMFERENCE WAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN GR. - I (P < 0.05) BUT DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN GR. - III (P < 0.05). CHEST CIRCUMFERENCE (ALL (P < 0.001), IN GR. - I AND II [BOTH P < 0.05]), GRIP STRENGTH (ALL [LEFT: P < 0.01 AND RIGHT: P < 0.05], IN GR. - I [LEFT: P < 0.05 AND RIGHT: P < 0.01], IN GR. - II [RIGHT: P < 0.05] AND IN GR. - III [LEFT: P < 0.05 AND RIGHT: P < 0.01]), BACK LEG STRENGTH (GROUP WISE P < 0.001, P < 0.05, P < 0.01 AND P < 0.05 RESPECTIVELY) AND FLEXIBILITY (ALL P < 0.001) WERE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: HATHA YOGA CAN IMPROVE ANTHROPOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS, MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY AMONG VOLUNTEERS OF DIFFERENT AGE GROUP AND CAN ALSO BE HELPFUL IN PREVENTING AND ATTENUATING AGE RELATED DETERIORATION OF THESE PARAMETERS. 2015 15 2747 26 YOGA PRACTICE IN DIABETES IMPROVES PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES. BACKGROUND: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON CLINICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN SUBJECTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM). METHODS: IN A 40-DAY YOGA CAMP AT THE INSTITUTE OF YOGA AND CONSCIOUSNESS, AMBULATORY SUBJECTS WITH T2DM NOT HAVING SIGNIFICANT COMPLICATIONS (N = 35) PARTICIPATED IN A 40-DAY YOGA CAMP, WHERE YOGIC PRACTICES WERE OVERSEEN BY TRAINED YOGA TEACHERS. CLINICAL, BIOCHEMICAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING WERE STUDIED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF THE CAMP. RESULTS: AT THE END OF THE STUDY, THERE WAS A REDUCTION OF BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) (26.514 +/- 3.355 TO 25.771 +/- 3.40; P < 0.001) AND ANXIETY (6.20 +/- 3.72 TO 4.29 +/- 4.46; P < 0.05) AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN TOTAL GENERAL WELL-BEING (48.6 +/- 11.13 TO 52.66 +/- 52.66 +/- 12.87; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPATION OF SUBJECTS WITH T2DM IN YOGA PRACTICE FOR 40 DAYS RESULTED IN REDUCED BMI, IMPROVED WELL-BEING, AND REDUCED ANXIETY. 2009 16 2396 16 YOGA AND CHEMOREFLEX RESPONSE TO HYPOXIA AND HYPERCAPNIA. WE TESTED WHETHER CHEMOREFLEX SENSITIVITY COULD BE AFFECTED BY THE PRACTICE OF YOGA, AND WHETHER THIS IS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF A SLOW BREATHING RATE OBTAINED DURING YOGA OR AS A GENERAL CONSEQUENCE OF YOGA. WE FOUND THAT SLOW BREATHING RATE PER SE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED CHEMOREFLEX SENSITIVITY, BUT LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTICE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR A GENERALISED REDUCTION IN CHEMOREFLEX. 2000 17 1932 31 ROLE OF YOGA IN MODIFYING ANXIETY LEVEL IN WOMEN. ANXIETY LEADS TO DERANGEMENT IN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. ANXIETY LEVELS ARE MORE IN FULL TIME HOUSEWIVES THAN WORKING WOMEN. THERE IS A NEED FOR SIMPLE, EASY TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY TO ALLEVIATE THE BURDEN ON HEALTH CAUSED BY ANXIETY. YOGA IS AMONG THE TOP TEN COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE THERAPIES. OUR STUDY AIMED TO DETERMINE THE ANXIETY LEVELS IN APPARENTLY HEALTHY FULL TIME HOUSEWIVES AND TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY LEVELS AMONG THEM. PRESENT STUDY IS A COMPARATIVE INTERVENTIONAL STUDY. STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON 50 APPARENTLY HEALTHY FULL TIME HOUSEWIVES (20-50 YEARS) WHO ATTENDED ONE MONTH YOGA CAMP. HAMILTON ANXIETY (HAMA) SCALE WAS USED TO EVALUATE ANXIETY LEVELS BEFORE AND AT THE END OF THE YOGA CAMP. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS WAS DONE BY PAIRED T TEST USING SPSS 9.0. THE BASELINE PULSE RATE, SBP, DBP WERE 82.90 +/- 4.25 BPM, 124.84 +/- 11.022 MM HG, 85.20 +/- 10.81 MM HG RESPECTIVELY. AFTER FOUR WEEKS YOGA CAMP THERE WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT LOWERING OF PULSE RATE (77.58 +/- 3.86 BPM), SBP (117.92 +/- 6.76 MM HG), DBP (78.68 +/- 6.62 MM HG). BEFORE YOGA TRAINING, PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTIONS OF SUBJECTS WITH MILD, MODERATE AND SEVERE ANXIETY WERE 6%, 18% AND 76% RESPECTIVELY. AT THE END OF FOUR WEEK YOGA TRAINING, PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTIONS OF SUBJECTS WITH MILD, MODERATE AND SEVERE ANXIETY WERE 44.23%, 19.23% AND 36.53% RESPECTIVELY. THERE WAS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT (P = 0.000) DIFFERENCE IN THE MEAN VALUES OF TOTAL SCORE BEFORE (33.71 +/- 4.90) AND AFTER (26.93 +/- 4.53) YOGA. THESE RESULTS INDICATE THAT THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN THE SEVERITY OF ANXIETY FROM SEVERE TO MODERATE AND MILD INDICATING DECREASE IN ANXIETY FOLLOWING YOGA. BASED ON THE RESULTS OF OUR STUDY, WE CONCLUDE THAT REGULAR YOGIC PRACTICES AND ADAPTING AND IMPLEMENTING THE PRINCIPALS AND PHILOSOPHY OF YOGA IN DAY TO DAY LIFE MAY DECREASE THE ANXIETY LEVEL. 2014 18 1420 19 IMPROVED PERFORMANCE IN THE TOWER OF LONDON TEST FOLLOWING YOGA. TWENTY GIRLS BETWEEN 10 AND 13 YEARS OF AGE, STUDYING AT A RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS. ONE GROUP PRACTICED YOGA FOR ONE HOUR FIFTEEN MINUTES PER DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK, WHILE THE OTHER GROUP WAS GIVEN PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR THE SAME TIME. TIME FOR PLANNING AND FOR EXECUTION AND THE NUMBER OF MOVES REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE TOWER OF LONDON TASK WERE ASSESSED FOR BOTH GROUPS AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF A MONTH. THESE THREE ASSESSMENTS WERE SEPARATELY TESTED IN INCREASINGLY COMPLEX TASKS REQUIRING 2-MOVES, 4-MOVES AND 5-MOVES. THE PRE-POST DATA WERE COMPARED USING THE WILCOXON PAIRED SIGNED RANKS TEST. THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PLANNING TIME FOR BOTH 2-MOVES AND 4-MOVES TASKS (53.9 AND 59.1 PERCENT RESPECTIVELY), EXECUTION TIME IN BOTH 4-MOVES AND 5-MOVES TASKS (63.7 AND 60.3 PERCENT RESPECTIVELY), AND IN THE NUMBER OF MOVES IN THE 4-MOVES TASKS (20.9 PERCENT). THE PHYSICAL TRAINING GROUP SHOWED NO CHANGE. HENCE YOGA TRAINING FOR A MONTH REDUCED THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION TIME IN SIMPLE (2-MOVES) AS WELL AS COMPLEX TASKS (4, 5-MOVES) AND FACILITATED REACHING THE TARGET WITH A SMALLER NUMBER OF MOVES IN A COMPLEX TASK (4-MOVES). 2001 19 956 28 EFFECTS OF A PRENATAL YOGA PROGRAMME ON THE DISCOMFORTS OF PREGNANCY AND MATERNAL CHILDBIRTH SELF-EFFICACY IN TAIWAN. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE A YOGA PROGRAMME PROVIDED TO PRIMIGRAVIDAS IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY WITH THE AIM OF DECREASING THE DISCOMFORTS ASSOCIATED WITH PREGNANCY AND INCREASING CHILDBIRTH SELF-EFFICACY. DESIGN: NON-RANDOMISED CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTAL STUDY. SETTING: A HOSPITAL IN NORTHERN TAIWAN. PARTICIPANTS: THE TARGET POPULATION WAS PRIMIGRAVIDAS AT 26-28 WEEKS OF GESTATION (NO HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES) WHO HAD NOT ENGAGED IN REGULAR EXERCISE OR YOGA FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR. THE STUDY INCLUDED 88 INDIVIDUALS; 43 IN THE CONTROL GROUP AND 45 IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WHO TOOK PART IN THE PRENATAL YOGA PROGRAMME. INTERVENTION: THE DURATION OF THE PRENATAL YOGA PROGRAMME WAS 12-14 WEEKS, WITH AT LEAST THREE SESSIONS PER WEEK. EACH WORKOUT LASTED FOR 30 MINUTES. MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS: WOMEN WHO TOOK PART IN THE PRENATAL YOGA PROGRAMME REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER PREGNANCY DISCOMFORTS THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (38.28 VS 43.26, Z=-2.58, P=0.01) AT 38-40 WEEKS OF GESTATION. THE SUBJECTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA PROGRAMME EXHIBITED HIGHER OUTCOME AND SELF-EFFICACY EXPECTANCIES DURING THE ACTIVE STAGE OF LABOUR (104.13 VS 83.53, T=3.24, P=0.002; 99.26 VS 77.70, T=3.99, P